What I’m Up To – December 2015

Man, I’ve been busy the last few months! Watching the Redskins limp through another NFL season. Playing tons of video games, from the amazing ARK: Survival Evolved to some old school faves like Doom. Catching up on TV shows like NBC’s Hannibal and my recently discovered addiction, The Boondocks. Frittering my life away at my pointless day job, cleaning the house, selling junk on eBay…

Wait–was I supposed to be writing?

Needless to say, I blew my overly optimistic Q4 release dates for both ISLAND OF THE DOLLS and SPOILED DINNER. Sorry about that. I’ll be more conservative about announcing release dates in the future to spare you such crushing disappointment.

Sometimes real life gets in the way, and sometimes this business beats you up in ways you don’t expect. This delay was a combination of both factors. As I’ve mentioned before, ISLAND OF THE DOLLS became a bigger story than I imagined. It’s been challenging to write in its own unique ways, and I’ve found myself stymied by some aspects of the narrative. On top of that, some of my support structures, like editors and peer groups–so necessary in an endeavor as lonely as writing–have changed or moved on to other obligations. I’d be lying if I didn’t say motivation has been an issue lately. Going on 2.5 years of publishing, I still have a long way to go to replace my day job’s income and make a living as a writer. Getting some really dumb bad reviews–and watching them immediately dry up my meager income even further–didn’t help.

(Seriously, you’d think a reviewer that was anal enough to complain about one obscure homophone error that slipped through professional-level editing would also have the reading comprehension to notice there were TWO separate lipstick maces, not “a lipstick mace that’s thrown on the street one minute and miraculously reappears in a backpack the next”. Entire paragraphs are devoted to establishing that there are two lipstick maces in two separate locations. Yet this is now the “most helpful review”. LOL.)

So I’ve been in a funk. I guess you could call it writer’s block, but it’s really just avoidance, because sadly writing has been causing more pain than pleasure lately. Thus all the distractions. Hell, I’m so desperate to avoid it all, I’ve been thinking about projects like finishing my basement or building a shed; entire monuments erected in honor of my laziness.

Anyway, SO DAMN BEAUTIFUL book 1 is currently available free. This is theoretically temporary, so get it while it lasts. Consider it a Christmas gift. If you want to give me one in return, you can leave a nice review and spread the word. Paperbacks also make great stocking-stuffers, I hear.

Otherwise, that’s probably all you’ll get out of me for this year. ISLAND OF THE DOLLS and SPOILED DINNER remain in development hell, approximately 80-90% finished. I hope to finish them both eventually, but there is little chance that it will be this year, or even any time soon.

Anyone terribly disappointed?

…Anyone?

…Man, I need to do something about all these crickets.

Now, back to this Deadskins game (so far, so good). And that beer. And finishing that basement. Till next time, Fugitives! Maybe.